Hay cutter and loader



June 3, 1952 L. R. GRAESSLE 2,599,255

HAY CUTTER AND LOADER Filed March 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WWW ATTORNEY June 3, 1952 L. R. GRAESSLE I 2,599,255

HAY CUTTER AND LOADER Filed March 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY June 3, 1952 R. GRAESSLE 2,599,255

HAY CUTTER AND LOADER Filed March 8, 1950 :5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR ATTORNEY best understood referring Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAY CUTTER AND LO-ADER Lowell R. Graessle, Spencerville, Ohio Application March 8, 1950, SerialNo. 148,328

8 Claims. (01. 56-23) The present invention relates generally to crop gathering machine or apparatus and aims more particularly to provide a crop gathering machine which gathers the crop and which is also capable of delivering the crop at any desired point.

Generally, the present invention aims to provide a motor vehicle which carries a cutter bar for cutting the crop, with a travelling web which receives the crop from the cutter bar and which serves to store the crop upon a reel as the web winds on the reel. Th same web, when reversed in its direction of travel, also serves to deliver the crop as desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a crop gathering apparatus of the type above described which may be operated by the engine of the motor vehicle both for receiving and storing the crop and for the subsequent delivery of the crop.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention falling within the scope of the appended claims; it being understood that variations thereof may be devised by persons skilled in the art.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the present apparatus; Fig. 3 is a front view thereof; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the principle of operation of the present invention as the crop is being cut and gathered, and Fig. 6 is an illustration of the invention as the crop is being delivered.

The principle of the present invention will be at this point to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Fig. 5 illustrates the invention when it is embodied in combination with a sickle bar or crop cutter bar for the purpose of receiving the crop and storing the same. The cutter bar or other conventional crop gathering means is diagrammatically illustrated at H] and the crop, which is cut as the machine advances, falls on and is received by the travelling web II. This web is anchored at one end on reel l2 and at the other end on the reel [3. In its travel from the reel [2 to reel l3, it passes over the forward idler spindle H which is disposed immediately behind the cutter ID. The web H is then directed upward and passes over the intermediate idler IS. The entire organization thus far described is supported by the chassis l6 carrying the traction wheels H. The reel [3 and the web I l wound thereon, are supported peripherally by a pair of endless belts l8. When the machine is gathering a crop, power is supplied to one or both endless belts l8 and the reel 13 is thus rotated by virtue of the firm contact between the outer layer of the web I l on the reel with the belts I8. The firm contact is caused by the weight of the reel, and the area of contact is large as shown. The web II is payed out by the reel 12 and as it passes over the spindle l4 it receives the crop continuously being cut and delivered by th sickle bar It. The web ll thus travels with the crop thereon and, as it is wound on the reel l3, it winds and retains the crop between successive layers of the web. The outer face of the web is in contact with the endless belt l8 which serves as a cradle to support the reel l3 together with the web and crop carried thereby, and, in addition, the belts l8 also serve to transmit power to the reel l3 so as to wind the web and crop thereon.

After the reel I3 is loaded to its maximum capacity, the vehicle may then travel to the point of storage of the crop and the apparatus is then operated to reverse the direction of travel of the web II and to deliver the crop as desired. For this purpose, the drive is de-clutched or otherwise disconnected from the belt l8 and a drive is provided for the reel H. In addition, the idler l4 may be raised as shown in Fig. 6 so that it may deliver the crop to a receiving conveyor or to a storage bin as desired diagrammatically illustrated at 20. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, web ll unwinds from the reel I3 and carries the crop with it and as the web passes over the idler M the crop is delivered to the conveyor 20. The web then proceeds and winds onto reel I2.

Thus the essential principle of the present invention resides in providing a pair of reels and a travelling web which serves to receive the crop as it is cut and which also serves to store the crop by winding the web and a layer of the crop onto one of the reels. On reversing the direction of travel of the web, the crop may be deliveredto another receiving or storing device while the web is being re-wound onto the front reel and is prepared thereby again to operate to receive and store the crop upon the rear reel.

The essential organization of the present invention which includes the web and front and rear reels may be mounted upon a tractor or other motor vehicle in any suitable manner.

One manner of mounting the present apparatus on a tractor which is provided with a crop cutter or sickle bar is shown in Figs. 1-4, inclusive. Referring to Figs. 1-4, the tractor there shown is provided with a chassis frame l6 carrying the traction Wheels ll. The frame 2| is supported by the chassis and carries the engine 22, the gear case 23, the differential 24, the drive shaft 25, the motor shaft 26, and the operators seat 21. The clutch 28 is disposed between the gear case 23 and the differential 24 and drive chains 29 transmit power: from the. engine 222 through: the; gear case and differential to one pair-ofwheelsi The sickle bar In is intended to illustrate any one of a variety of cutters which may be mount ed on a tractor to cut and gather crops. In the-.- drawings, the sickle bar is of the oscillatory type and will be seen as provided with an.arm.

30 which engages a rotary cam 3| drivenbys a chain 32 from the shaft 26. The clutch 33is interposed between the shaft 26 and the ch'ain3'2. The organization thus far described is only diagrammatic andmay obviously-be; replaced bye-any;- other' suitablesorganization and is :intended. primarily to illustrateegenerally; attractor provided: with a sicklebarfor: cutting: the crop;

The present invention: providess a. simple or.--

ga-nization which. includes a travelling; web.. for. receiving, gathering.; and temporarily storing,- the: crop, cut by the-cutting; bar: Illa. The web is: mounted. on a, reel at'eachend1and',-. asrhas al' ready; been explained,: the-. web with; the' cropris 1 moved from the forward. to the rear reel for: gathering and temporarily storing the1crop and. for: delivery of 1 the: cropto a permanent storing, point, the web .is. moved from; the rear to; the;

forwardzreelz. Theeweb-andreels are;.therefore;; 35:-

mounted .on..the.-.-tractor' andcreceivepowerfrom. thetractor engine directly or,- if. 'desired, from. the tractor wheels or from-.er source'n oft power provided-for.- the purposes- In:- onderto simplify the. present showing;the-"embodiment of the in. vention illustrated operateseby;theipowerz ofithe+ tractor engine--22; The reelsccarrying .the .web II are carried by the..-tractorchassisaframe l6.

For the. support of: the: rear- -.reel IS, the tractor-.- frame'; I 6 supports aapair. of; opposedarigid guide. plates140 best showrrin-Fig- 1=and1sh0wn inzcrossi section in Fig.- 4.. Each: guide'wplate his :pro vided with anrelongatedtslotvlll, one vertical edge: of the slot being; provided with teeth42-toz-mesh,

withthe teeth'of the-gean43;carried byzthexshaft E4 of: the reel. [3: Thecgean. 43.-is.-preferablyi freely rotatable: on the shaft 44( Oneits -inner. face each plateor. guide-.plate -.is.provided with: an elongated recesswhich-.lparallels the slot 4 4 to receive and-confine the gear..-43.

The reel l3zwit-hits shaft 44 extendinggtteach.

end into slots 4| :is guided :by;thes-guida-plates: 46 in its travel upward as it..is.-beingdoadedland. downward when it is .being unloaded; Thesupport for the reel is provided by. the endless-belts 18 which arecarried by the pulleys:supported:

by the brackets. 45 :on .the Tframe 6:: Azsprocket chain 4"! transmits powen. from the: engine to the endless-belt .I8-:when thevreeh l3. is--.bei-ng;,= loaded;

It will .now' be.-understood that; as cthel'tractor-r travels forward the. sickle bar. I flfiwhichlmzty Zbe': operated bythe sprocket .chain: '321'1301 oscillate cuts thecrop and.-deliversthe'same td the travelling belt I l. At the :same1time.-the. reel-:|3 is being rotated bythe endlesslbelt l8.-- Asi-the, reel l3 grows indiameter it rises "with the-Tend lease-belt.- l8in firm: contact with thBnbBlfi-"HL Therrise ofa-the reel. .-l 3 dsnguided by--the. slot--4 I-- in:-.the.- guide plates- 140.- Iftdesired; theegean 43- 402 tion delivers the crop to the permanent storage and teeth 42 may be eliminated, and the ends of the shaft 44 of the reel [3 will then travel freely up the guide slots 4|. For some purposes, it is desirable to have some additional support for the reel [3 and the engagement between the gear 43 and the teeth 42 provides such additional support. In such an organization, the weight of the reel l3 as it is being loaded is carried in part by the drive belts l8 and in part by the guide plates 40 However, wh'enthe gear-'43 and teeth 42 re eliminated, the entire weight of the reel is supported by the drive belts l8.

The forward spindle. l4 may be mounted in any. desirable manner. However, under some conditions it may be desirable to raise the spindle l4 from its position immediately behind the cutter bar. to a higher level for the unloading or delivery of the crop to a permanent storing point; This is desirable particularly to provide space for a receiving conveyor belt 29. For this purpose*,' the brackets 50 which support-the spindle-Ikare carried by a pairot arms-5i; which-- arepivotally attached to the-forward. end-ofthe The arms 5 I" are provided at corresponding intermediate pointsrwith brackets The linkages 54 are pivotally attachedto- 53. the upper end of frame 2| and to the brackets 53-; A pair-of curved arms- 55, each-provided with: a. plurality of openings,..is-mounted-- on frame. 21 as shown,-.for cooperation with thelinkages. 54 when the same aremoved to the dotted. line position shown'in: Fig. 1. These linkages 54'may be retained ins the: dottedline I position by pins 55 and the spindle: i4 is-thus retained in the raised position,

In: unloading, the sprocketchain 4'5 is declutched from theengine-and the drive belt 5l-is connected to the engine to wind the belt I lonto the reel l2. The web I I, therefore, in -this-posimeans orto another conveyor I claim:

1; The.combination of a wheeledvehicle; crop gathering means carried-bythevehic1e-at-itsforward end, a =transverse-spindle mounted on said vehicle immediately behindthe gathering.

means; two rotatable reels mounted on said ve-' hicle, and a web wound about-onereel extending around the spindle and reversely: around the other reel, the -web, when traveling-in one-direction-receiving; a crop from-said gathering: means and=storing the same on one reel and when-travel ing in' the opposite direction :deliveringthe'crop from: said onerre'el' to otherlstorage means? 2. The combination" ofawheeled: vehicle; crop gathering: means carried by; thea vehicle at its forward? end; a transverse spindle mounted on said vehicle immediately behind the gathering means;- two'rotat'able reels, a web 'w'ound about onewreelextending j around the: spindle and reverselyg around the other reel; and power =nfeans operatively connected to said reels to r'otatethe same and to cause therwebto travel from either' reel to the other: as desired; the -web,':when travel-' other storage means. e

ingza :m'ai'nbody:and-'a part extending-:forwardly therefronni crop gathering means carried by said part3 a :transversespindle mounted onsaid part I adjacent the: gathering une ans; r-tworotatable reels mounted on said-vehicleraiweb'i-woundabdut one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, the web, when traveling in one direction receiving a crop and storing the same on one reel, and, when traveling in the opposite direction, delivering the crop from said one reel to other storage means. 4. The combination of a wheeled vehicle having a main body and a forward portion pivotally mounted thereon, means operatively connected to said forward portion for adjusting the same to a desired position, crop gathering means carried by said forward portion, a transverse spindle mounted on the forward portion adjacent the gathering means, two rotatable reels mounted on said vehicle, a web wound about one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, the web, when traveling in one direction,receiving the crop from the gathering means and storing the same on one reel, the web, when traveling in the opposite direction, delivering the crop from said one reel to other storage means.

5. The combination of a wheeled vehicle having a main body and a forward portion pivotally mounted thereon, means operatively connected to said forward portion for adjusting the same to a desired position, crop gathering means carried by said forward portion, a transverse spindle mounted on the forward portion adjacent the gathering means, 'two rotatable reels mounted I on said vehicle, a web wound about one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, and power means operatively connected to said reels to cause the web to travel in a desired direction, the web, when traveling in one direction, receiving a crop from the gatherer and storing the same on one reel and, when traveling in the opposite direction, delivering the crop from said one reel to other storage means.

6. A crop harvester comprising a wheeled vehicle, a crop cutter carried by the vehicle at its forward end operable to sever a crop near the ground as the vehicle moves forward, a transverse spindle mounted on said vehicle immediately behind the cutter, two rotatable reels mounted on said vehicle and a web wound about one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, the web, when traveling in one direction, receiving the severed crop and storing the same on one reel, and, when traveling in the opposite direction, delivering the same to other storage means.

7. A crop harvester comprising a wheeled vehicle, a crop cutter carried by the vehicle at its forward end operable to sever a crop near the ground as the vehicle moves forward, a transverse spindle mounted on said vehicle immedi-- ately behind the cutter, two rotatable reels mounted on said vehicle, a web wound about one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, and power means operatively connected to said reels to cause the web to travel in a desired direction, the web, when traveling in one direction, receiving the severed crop and storing the same on one reel and, when traveling in the other direction, delivering the crop to other storage means.

8. A crop harvester comprising a wheeled vehicle having a pivotally mounted forward portion, means operatively connected to said portion to adjust the same to a desired position, a crop cutter carried by said forward portion, a transverse spindle mounted on said portion adjacent the cutter, two rotatable reels mounted on said vehicle, a web wound about one reel extending around the spindle and reversely around the other reel, and power means operatively connected to said reels to cause the web to travel in a desired direction.

LOWELL R. GRAESSLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Wunderlich Apr. 12, 1938 

